Game apparatus



(No Model.)

G. B. NICHOLS. GAME APPARATUS.

No. 471,888. Patented Mar. 29, 1892.

im' I WITNESSES y n l/V VE IVIOH. MZ @QM/w1 7?-1'75-'3 v 5y I Y ra 'ATTORNEYS UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GRANT B. NICHOLS, OF VAPAKONETA, OHIO.

` GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 471,883, dated-March 29, 1892.

Application filed September l, 1891. Serial No. 404,450.

(No model.)

To 1f/ZZ. whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GRANT B. NICHOLS, of Wapakoneta, in the county of Auglaize and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in game apparatus, and has for its object to provide a game which may properly be called f ringing the bells, as the object of the game is to afford amusement by locating upon a board or table in predetermined order a series of bells having peculiarly-constructed handles, the bells being removably placed upon the board and employing in connection with the board a cue having attached thereto, bya line or its equivalent, a ring, the cue being adapted for manipulation in a manner to whip the ring from the board upon which it is placed over the handle of a bell and elevating the bell, ringing it meanwhile, from the table or board while in engagement with the ring.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the Views. 1

Figure l is a plan View of the game-board, the bells in position thereon, and the cue and its attached ring. Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken practically on the line 2 2 of Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a bell, illustrating a modification in the form of its handle.

In carrying out the invention a board 10 is employed, preferably rectangular in shape, and covered with baize or equivalent material, the board being provided with a marginal flange 11. The board may be made to rest upon a table or other support; or it may be, and preferably is, provided with legs 12, whereby it may be stood upon the floor. These legs it is desirable to make removable, so that the board may be otherwise supported, if necessary.

In connection with the game-board nine bells 13 are employed. These bells may be and if only two one at opposite sides.

of the board some distance from the marginal flange and a bell is then placed about midway between each corner bell and the center bell. Thus two rows of bells are formed, extending diagonally of the board from corner to corner.

While the bodies of the bells are of ordinary construction,the respective handles 14 thereof are provided with a conical upper end 14a, the apex of the cone being at the extremity of each handle and the base being of much greater diameter than that portion of the handle intervening the body of the bell and the conical portion of the handle-that is to Say, the handle virtually constitutes a conical upper block or pin section and a shank-section uniting the conical section with the body of the bell; but if in practice it is found desirable, instead of the upper ends of the bellhandles representing a cone, they may be made in the shape of the frustum of a cone, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Thus the upper portion of the handle, instead of being pointed, will be dat, and when the handles are constructed as shown in Fig. 3 the process of ringing them will be more difficult, as the ring is liable to strike upon the upper nat surface of the handle and rebound therefrom. I prefer, however, to have the handle of the center bell only nat, and to that end send with each game two center bells, one with a nat and the other with a pointed handle.

In connection with the board a cue 15 is employed, each player using one of these artiticles. The cue is preferably made quite light, and at its outer thin end a ring 16 is attached by a line 17 of any approved material. The ring, however, is preferably made of rubber and white, in order that it may be readily seen at night.

The game is played as follows: The players take their positions, cues in hand, one at each side of the board if four persons are playing, If four persons play, those opposite each other will be opponents. Each bell maybe made to represent so many points-as, for instance, the

central bell may be made to count twenty-five and each of the other bells ten points for the player that may ring it. One party from each side, if partners are playing-that is, two op-l ponents-begin the play, and this is done by placing the rings, as shown in Fig. 2, upon the board at any desired point in its ield'and whipping a ring from the board by a quick movement ofy the cue over one of the handles of the bells, and to accomplish this at each play requires considerable skill 'upon the part of the player. The opponents play until one of them-.catches a bell and at that time their turn is iinished and the other two opponents takea turn and playuntil one of them makes al catch,- and thus they proceed until allot' the bells have been run'gvexcept the central onle,'which must not be disturbed. or yattacked until all of the other bells have been removed. WVhen aA player throws a ring over a` bell and removes it from the board, the bell .must ring while the handle is surrounded by the rubber` ring. Otherwise the bell does-not count tothe player .and must be returned to the board.

The central bell is to be captured Vin the following mann er: The player next to theplayer w-hct has captured the -last bell `commences irstvto throw the ring. Three such attempts are allowed, andv if the player fails in-such at-v tempts the next player upon his leftproceeds in the-same manner, and this order is continned until the bell has been rung. At the 'end ot the `game the partners havin g the largest' nufmberef points to their credit are given the game. The playersare preferably seated some distance-for instance, some three or four feet from their respective sides of the board.

A rubber ring is preferably-employed, as it is more apt to rebound than a metalring, it is not so heavy, and will not become-dented or showfwear, nor will it injure the bells, which may be, and preferably are, highly polished.

Numbers are placed upon the board in such position as to be under the bells and are permanent. The numbers not only indicate where the bells are to be placed,but enable the players to determine at a glance the points made.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In a game apparatus, a bell the handle of which is provided with an enlargement at a point in its length, a ring independent of the bell, the handle being adapted to be encircled and engaged by the ring, and a cue connected with the ring, whereby it is guided, substantially as shown and described.

2. A gameapparatus comprising a board, a number of bells removably located upon the board, the handles of which :are provided with shoulders, a cue-independent of the board, and a ring suspended from one end ot' the-cue, substantially as shown and described.

3. A game apparatus consisting lof aboard, a number of bells removably located uponfthe board and provided with handles,r the upper ends of which ,are essentially conical and reduced in diameter below their conical portions, a cue independent of the board, anda ring having a flexible connection with one Aendet' the cue, substantially as described.

4. In a game apparatus,th e combination, with a board anda series ot' bellsarranged thereon in predetermined order, thebells being providedwith handles provided with -upv per yessentially-conical vsections and lowerreduced shank-sections, of acue, a rin.g,a,nd a iiexible connection between the-ring .and one extremity of the cue, substantially asfshown Aand described.

p GRANT B. NICHOLS. Witnesses:

J. L. WISENER, CEAS. E. DAVIS. 

